Local rheology of the vascular intima was studied in two ways. One, a new microindentation apparatus was designed and fabricated to map the local compliance of the intimal layer of the aorta. Two, the strength of the endothelial surface was studied by exposing it to a saline jet of known strength and quantifying the resulting damage to the surface. It is hoped that these studies will help in understanding the role of mechanical factors in atherogenesis.